Thursday, April 15, 2010

Church attendance and sexual assault

White male adolescents in the ADD Health Study were asked: "Did you ever physically force someone to have sexual intercourse against her will?" Here are the percentages who answered "yes" listed by church attendance:

Percent of males having forced sex (N = 604)

Never attends 4.2Less than once a month 2.3Between monthly and less than weekly 3.5 Once a week or more 1.2

There are no significant differences here, but if that issue is ignored, guys who never attend church are 3 1/2 times more likely to report forced sex than those who go weekly or more often.
Girls were asked: "Were you ever physically forced to have sexual intercourse against your will?

Percent of females forced to have sex (N = 657)

Never attends 15.7Less than once a month 11.3Between monthly and less than weekly 11.9Once a week or more 10.5Once again, there are no significant differences, but the numbers suggest that, compared to girls who attend most frequently, those who never go are 1 1/2 times more likely to have been forced. Less restrictiveness on the part of the parents seems the most probable explanation.

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"The creation myth was the essential bond that held the tribe together. It provided its believers with a unique identity, commanded their fidelity, strengthened order, vouchsafed law, encouraged valor and sacrifice, and offered meaning to the cycles of life and death. No tribe could survive long without the meaning of its existence defined by a creation story. The option was to weaken, dissolve, and die." ~ E.O. Wilson